


Prove It

by miss_aligned



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mass Effect 3, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 10:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7218622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_aligned/pseuds/miss_aligned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With all the chaos the reapers are stirring, it's difficult to keep a level head. Liara, Kaidan, and Shepard are trying to find some answers on Mars, but the Major feels even more uninformed and frustrated than usual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prove It

“Control yourself, Major,” Liara quietly said as she released the arm she’d caught to gain his attention. There was an edge to her typically sweet tone that he was unaccustomed to hearing.

His jaw clenched as he watched Shepard walk away to try and figure out another way to fool Cerberus agents and retrieve the information they needed. He just wanted to get in, get the files they were sent to Mars to retrieve, and get out. He hadn’t anticipated that working with Shepard again would be so… complicated. “She didn’t seem too upset.”

“You just asked her if she was a husk,” Liara hissed. “You’re entitled to your anger, but not to cruelty.”

“What? I’m not–” Kaidan sighed heavily as he rubbed a hand over his face. Animosity was bubbling to the surface each time he asked Shepard a question about her past, her connections with Cerberus, and the mysteries surrounding The Illusive Man. Her short, quick responses that revealed nothing of use were beyond irritating. Deep down he’d known, though, that he’d taken a step too far when he saw a flash of pain in her eyes as soon as the question left his lips. It was too late to take it back by then. “I’m just trying to figure this all out. It’s hard for me, you know?”

“It’s been hard for all of us,” the asari answered, her furrowed brow emphasizing her displeasure. “Including Shepard. Imagine her position, having almost everyone she’s ever known being too close-minded to accept her revival, especially since she can’t seem to field questions about how she managed to reappear after all this time. What would you do?”

Kaidan pondered it for a moment as he watched the Commander work with the small radio she’d retrieved from the husk-like Cerberus agent. Her movements were right. Her manner of speech, her expressions, and her determination were all there. But still, none of it made any sense to him. People just didn’t return from the dead and the Shepard he’d known and loved would never have worked for an organization like Cerberus. Despite the numerous questions still swarming his mind, he managed an answer to the question at last. “I’d prove it to them.”

“What is it that you think she’s been doing, exactly? She went through the Omega 4 Relay fully anticipating that she wasn’t coming back, all to destroy Collectors and protect others with minimal support from the people she’d previously depended on for help. She did it, returned through the relay against all odds, and immediately turned herself over to the Alliance. If that’s not a Shepard-style series of events, then you and I knew a very different woman years ago.” There was a fire in Liara’s eyes that Kaidan had never seen before. She was so sure that Shepard was who she claimed that his heart ached to believe it, too.

The Major took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and ease his frustration. Even if he didn’t want to fully accept the asari’s words, he knew that she was trying to help. He dared to acknowledge that there was probably some logic in her viewpoint, as well. All he wanted were clear answers. No one seemed to be able to provide them. “I guess if it was me in her shoes, I would have given up. There’s no sense in saving people who obviously don’t want to be saved.”

“I can’t say I’d fault you for that. Despite everything that’s happened, it’s probably a good thing that this happened to her and not either of us. She’s never been good at giving up.” Liara responded, casting her gaze over to Shepard, who was ignoring them in favor of making an attempt to deceive Cerberus operatives over the radio.

“So you think it’s easy to go back? To pretend like everything is fine and that nothing’s changed? That she hasn’t changed?” He was full of questions today and there seemed to be no hard, definitive answers.

“She needs your help. If not as her bondmate, then as a friend. At the very least, as a soldier she can trust. You know as well as I do that she’s going to have to lead whatever offensive we can muster, and she can’t do it alone,” she answered, her voice beginning to return to the soothing tone she usually employed.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t intend to help. I would have stayed on Earth fighting those things back if I didn’t think I could make a bigger difference on the Normandy.” Kaidan slowly began to admit to himself that there were likely a good many reasons he elected to join Shepard and her crew rather than staying on Earth at a pivotal time. The internal struggle of his brain and his heart was disorienting.

“I know your intentions are good, but the accusations aren’t helping,” Liara calmly explained. “I’m happy that you’re here and I can’t deny that it brings back fond memories for all of us to all be fighting side-by-side again. I don’t know exactly what’s going on with the two of you, but if I have to protect you from each other, then I will do it.”

“No. It’s fine. I’m fine,” Kaidan responded, his jaw clenched. He hauled his gun up and at the ready as he began to walk in the Commander’s direction. “I get it. This isn’t the right time.”

Shepard turned to her companions, carefully masking her expression and avoiding any sort of extended eye contact with the irritated biotic. Somewhere in the depths of his heart, watching her cover pain suffered at his hand stirred something. Guilt welled up in his gut with each passing second, and just as he was going to make an attempt to apologize, she spoke. “Let’s go.”

Kaidan’s jaw snapped shut as the two ladies moved ahead of him. He sighed and followed after them, gun ready and eyes scanning for signs of danger. He planned to apologize. He had to. He’d been known for being so calm and collected, and he realized with a pang of shame that it was when he was around the person he loved most in the universe that his resolve began to break. He didn’t hate Shepard even after all this time and all of these struggles. He thought he should, somehow, but he couldn’t. He still cared. Very much. She wouldn’t have been so affected by his words, either, if she didn’t care about him also. She would have brushed him off, punched him in the face, or shot him by now, otherwise.

Suddenly it made sense why Liara was planning to protect the two of them from one another.

A silent promise was made as Kaidan hurried his steps to catch up with his companions. As soon as they returned to the shuttle, he’d have a real talk with Shepard. One with less accusations and more concern. No hate, only love.


End file.
